


Never Seen Good Come of Goodness Yet

by TheRedLittleGirl



Category: Black Sails
Genre: BSBackstory15, Bullying, Child Abuse, for the backstory month on tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 09:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5370926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedLittleGirl/pseuds/TheRedLittleGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brief glimpses into the childhood and early life of John Silver. A look at how the boy became the man before the man became the pirate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Seen Good Come of Goodness Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”What’s your name? I don’t recognize you very well, so I assume you’re one of the new lot we took in from the workhouses last month, is that correct?”
> 
> The boy nodded carefully. ”Yes, sir. Name’s John, sir.”
> 
> ”And more?”
> 
> ”Nothin’ else, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a native speaker, and this is unbetaed, so my excuses for any grammar or spelling mistakes.
> 
> Made for the Black Sails Backstory Month on tumblr. Further chapters to come as the month progresses!
> 
> Enjoy!

The Reverend Mr Madden looked at the three boys in front of his desk. None of them looked back to meet his glare but instead occupied themselves with glancing down at their shoes. Well, two of them were. The third one was standing shoeless on the office floor. All three of them were dirty and bruised, wore ruffled uniforms, and one had a trail of dried blood going from nose to lip. Mr Madden sighed deeply before speaking, voice filled with carefully restrained anger.

”It was reported to me by Mrs Coll and by Mr Vince when I returned from town that a tumultuous quarrel between several of the boys had broken out on the yard earlier today. You three have been identified as the ones who started it. I’m certain you’re all well aware of our policies and how any kind of physical fighting is strictly forbidden. Therefore, you will all be punished. However, while most might see you all as hopeless cases, perhaps rightfully so, I want to know what caused the brawl, so that in the future, we can prevent any similar incidents.” He gave them a stern look, although it was lost on the boys as they were all still focusing intently on the floor. ”Now, come on. Speak up. Hopkins?”

The boy with the dried trail of blood shifted a bit where he stood but didn’t say anything. Mr Madden narrowed his eyes, his enormous dark eyebrows almost connecting above his eyes. ” I assume you didn’t bite your tongue off in the fight, but is simply unwilling to cooperate. Well then. Millett?”

The boy in the middle, slightly taller and lankier than the other two, looked up. His eyes darted around the room.

”I’m waiting, son”, Mr Madden warned. Millett glanced at the boy to his left, the one without shoes and mumbled something. Mr Madden’s patience was running out, more so with every word he had to say. ”Speak up, you should speak clearly when talking to me.”

”We were trying to take his shoes, sir”, Millett finally admitted, clearing his throat and letting his eyes return to the floor. This was obviously not the answer Mr Madden had expected, as his eyebrows rose, almost comical to look at had any of the boys been paying attention.

”His shoes?” The two boys nodded while the shoeless one remained silent, fists clenched. ”Why on earth why you do that?”

More silence. Mr Madden rubbed the bridge of his nose, regretting, not for the first time, the day he decided to create the institution of which he was currently in charge. Still, St John’s Home for Poor Orphan Boys was a respected establishment in the local community, and it received plenty of donations too, which usually made up for the hassle of managing the place. After some contemplation, he turned to the shoeless boy.

”Now, I want an explanation, so I want you to tell me why a brawl could arisen over your shoes, and preferably also why you are currently not wearing them.” He gave his most intimidating glare, and he could see the boy’s eyes widen in fear behind those dark curls which were falling down over his face. He’d have to remind Mrs Coll to give the boys a proper haircut soon, or at least lecture them so that they remembered tying it up.

”Got no clue why they’d take me shoes, sir”, the boy mumbled, but another glare sent the truth tumbling from his lips. ”I’d hidden somethin’ in them, sir, but I an’t done nothing wrong.”

”Speak properly, boy. You had hidden something in them, you say?” This story was getting stranger by the minute, but Mr Madden wanted it over and done with as soon as possible. ”What was it?”

”Coins, sir”, the boy said and looked up. ”Just some silver coins. I’ve been coming with Mr Vince to town, sir, helped him runnin’ errands. Earned them myself, I did. Mr Vince said I could keep them. But I didn’t want the others to know, they might steal them. T’wasn’t a fortune or anything, sir, but it was mine, and jealousy is not a fine thing in such close quarters. But one of them”, he shot a look over to the other two boys, ”saw me cuttin’ the shoes open. Wanted it for themselves, I reckon. See, Mr Madden, I haven’t done anything wrong. The shoes got thrown off in the fight though. I think Mrs Coll took care of them, but they sent us up here so quickly I hadn’t a chance to get them back.”

Mr Madden was a bit taken aback by the boy’s honesty. Usually it was an entire day’s work to simply get one of these rascals to talk, those rare times it could be done without a few rounds with the belt. ”I say”, was all he got out after a few seconds of silence. He turned to the two others. ”I hope you two realize that attempted thievery is a great sin. You will both be several punished for this, a beating should make you think clearer, and you’ll go without dinner tonight. Same for you”, he waved his hand toward the shoeless one, who’s mouth dropped open, ”and now you’re dismissed. I need to work.”

The other two threw malicious looks at the third as they walked to the door, while he stayed behind, frozen in front of the desk. Mr Madden, who’d immediately returned to his papers, looked up with another deep sigh. ”What is it now?”

”I don’t understand. I told you the truth. Why am I gettin’ punished as well? Sir, I didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”

Mr Madden stood up and rounded the desk, causing the boy to stumble backwards a bit. He was a short one, and Mr Madden, even though in his late 50s, was an intimidating presence. He’d never looked quite right preaching in Church. The other two boys had stopped in the doorway, seemingly having forgotten their upcoming punishment. They just wanted to watch it all unfold. Mr Madden looked down at the boy, frowning and narrowing his eyes again. ”What’s your name? I don’t recognize you very well, so I assume you’re one of the new lot we took in from the workhouses last month, is that correct?”

The boy nodded carefully. ”Yes, sir. Name’s John, sir.”

”And more?”

”Nothin’ else, sir. At the workhouse no one cared about names, we only had our station numbers. I was number seven. Got a new number by Mr Leal when I got here, sir. I think they’ve yet to process all the paper work, you see, and all the foundlings, cause I’m a foundling sir, as far as I know, haven’t been given proper names yet. Back at the first home I -”

”Yes, that is quite enough”, Mr Madden interrupted him with a hand. ”Well then, John, since you’re new, I will explain some things that will be very essential for your continuing stay with us. You never question my decisions. You don’t ask me to explain myself, that is not your place. If I say that you are to punished, then you are to be punished. You took part in a fight, and that is enough for a beating, but you also maimed property that does not belong to you. The clothes on your body are not yours, they belong to St John’s. When I’ve retrieved the shoes from Mrs Coll, I will confiscate the money you’ve collected. That is my right. We are providing you with shelter, food and an education, which is more than someone of your origin could ever have hoped for, and we are doing it all out of our devotion to carry out the work of the Lord. It is a privilege and you should be grateful. Maybe once we send you off on an apprenticeship you will learn what real toil is, but earning money from barely doing anything will only set you on a path of idleness. Until then, you better quickly get used to your new situation, if you do not want to get the belt here and now. Is that understood?”

The horror had been growing on the young boys face as he went on, and for a few seconds he just gaped at him once he finished. He seemingly collected himself.

 ”But…”, he started, finding his footing, his voice growing a little more secure. ”But it’s not fair! It’s my money, you can’t just take it, it’s not-!”

The back of Mr Madden’s hand collided with the boy’s face with such a force that it sent him falling to the floor with a pained shriek. He didn’t stay there for long as Mr Madden gripped his arm hard and pulled him up on his feet. ”Don’t you ever dare speak to me like that again. You are one of the lucky ones. Many in your situation would be joyful to be given such a chance, but you are a greedy ungrateful bastard. You will spend the night in the outdoor shed and when we let you back in you better have learnt some respect. Now, is that understood, or do I need to be even clearer?”

Tears had not yet fallen from the boy’s eyes, but only because of sheer willpower on his side to hold them back. A red mark was already blooming on his cheek. A quick nod made Mr Madden release him, which more or less meant throwing him towards the door, from which the other two boys had quickly removed themselves only moments before.

”Then get out, and do not speak of this again.”

Since Mr Madden turned his back to walk around his desk and finally return to his work, he missed the look on the boy’s face, now with tears slowly trailing down his cheeks. If he had, he would probably have the boy thrown out of the establishment and back to the workhouse then and there, because it was a look that spoke not of a lesson learnt but of more trouble to come. It wasn’t open hatred or defiance, but it was there somewhere, simmering under the surface. For now though, all that Mr Madden was faced with as he sank down in his chair was a closed door, and finally some peace and quiet.

—

Once John got back inside the next day, joints aching and bruises blooming all over, both from the beating the previous day and the night spent in the cold shack, it became apparent that the story had spread all over. Most of the boys said nothing, some gloated in the misfortune of others from afar and some decided to do so up close. None sympathetic, that was not a luxury afforded boys in a place like this.

He got his shoes back, though the patching witnessed of little finess or care, and they caused him chafed feet for a whole month. Not a penny left in them. However, that did not stop the other boys from teasing him for weeks after the incident.

—

”Hey, got any silver pennies for me?”, one of the larger boys said one time and they lifted him above the ground upside down and shook him, as if expecting money to come raining from his clothes. No one was punished that day. It beacme apparent that a fight was only against regulation if you got caught in the act. A boy with a split lip and some bruises was just part of the every day scenery. Some would even call it necessary disciplin. 

—

”Watch where you’re going, might lose a fortune if you trip!” 

Five seconds later, the boy who'd shouted was the one on the floor, looking with wide eyes up at John, who was standing over him. He was the one who had tripped, fallen forward over John's foot, which he'd jammed in between his legs. If you weren't large or good at fighting, then moving quick was essential, and John was small for his age. He could easily outrun the others, or in this case, get one up on them if he was fast enough. Most of them didn't bother him after that. 

—

”Silver shoes, over here! Unless you’re bogged down by riches, do you think you can climb inside that window and open the hatch downstairs for us? There are leftovers from the dinner Mr Madden held yesterday. We thought we might borrow some. You’ll get your share, of course.” No one got a share, Mr Vince was on night guard duty and discovered them in the act, but they scattered before he got a good look at their faces.

The next day everyone was questioned. No one said a word. Not out of loyalty to each other, but because they all knew that whoever tattled would have to live through hell from the other boys, and that was far worse than a day of not getting any food. 

—

”Silver, Jenkins, Oxley and Beef with me. The rest of you stay here and make sure no one comes. If this plan of Silver’s pays of, we’ll have half the pantry up here and they’ll never suspect a thing.”

It was set up so they'd think it was a burglary, and through some stroke of luck it worked out. Mr Madden was furious, and John wouldn't be surprised if some part of him suspected what they'd done, but there was no evidence. As he announced that meals would have to be cut down to twice a day for the boys the upcoming week, John had to hold back a smile, since all he could think of was the massive amount of food they'd stacked upstairs. 

Of course, in the end they all ate too much, and ended up getting sick. It had been worth it though. They all agreed on that. 

—

It’s interesting how in the fleeting minds of children, an insult can turn into a nickname and a nickname can turn into an identity. By the time it came to send in records, even the adults had picked up on it, and John Silver was neatly printed down on paper and sent away. 

The boy himself had by then found his place in the hierarchy and was watching other new arrivals making the same mistakes he'd made. He’d sworn back then that he’d visit some sort of revenge upon Mr Madden, but now, months later, he realized that the injustice had simply showed him something very important. Everything Mr Madden had said that day was true. As long as they all depended on him for food, for shelter and for the means to get themselves an honest job, what was the use of owning money? Or of doing anything to try and get it for that matter? It would never truly be his, and in a peculiar way, he was grateful for learning that so early. 

He didn’t mind the name. In a way, it served as a reminder of how the world worked. When he turned thirteen years old and the time came for him to be sent away to start his apprenticeship, he’d forgotten he’d ever been called anything else. He sat down on the back of the carriage with four other boys around the same age, watching slowly as the large house he’d lived in for three years shrank on the horizon, seeming more and more insignificant by the second. Turning his head, another horizon opened up in front of him, full of new possibilities. He didn’t have a plan, but he was sure that nothing could be worse than the place he’d just left. It would be better now. He’d show them all, work and be rewarded for it, earn his way, be his own. He was certain it could be done, no matter what anyone else said. 

One of the others told a joke, causing laughter to erupt from the group. John hadn’t caught it, but he smiled nonetheless. A wide smile, something that would surely have caused him a slap followed by a ”What makes you look so proud of yourself? Conceited child.” in the place he’d come from. He lay back and looked up at the sky, squinting at the sun as the carriage rocked back and forth. In his mind, he saw the future he imagined for himself, where his feet wouldn’t ache, his shoulders wouldn’t hurt, no one would decide what he should wear or do and he wouldn’t have to hide money in broken shoes with fear of it being taken away. He dangled his legs over the edge. Truly a prospect worth smiling about.

It was a beautiful spring day by the end of the century, and for young John Silver, life had never looked better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the work is from a line in _Treasure Island_. It's not said by Silver himself, but rather another pirate, but I still thought it fits. Besides, in the Treasure Island musical (yes, that exists), Silver has an entire song about that concept.
> 
> The title of the chapter is from a poem by William Wordsworth called _My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold_.
> 
> _My heart leaps up when I behold_  
>  _A rainbow in the sky:_  
>  _So was it when my life began;_  
>  _So is it now I am a man;_  
>  _So be it when I shall grow old,_  
>  _Or let me die!_  
>  _The Child is father of the Man;_  
>  _I could wish my days to be_  
>  _Bound each to each by natural piety._  
> 
> 
> And while Silver might never have been a lover of nature like Wordsworth, he loves a great many other things about life. Of course, the line in the title is specifically chosen to show how experiences in childhood affects your life.   [On tumblr.](http://yoyo-inspace.tumblr.com/post/134752467575/backstory-month-john-silver-week-1-childhood)


End file.
